If asked to choose a local African American for a real-life docudrama based on their historical relevancy and individual accomplishments, Charles Warren would be on my shortlist.
If you didn’t know him, you’d probably walk past the physically fit but unassuming community elder without realizing you just shared space with a true Black history maker whose name will also be etched in the monument of Black pioneers.
Hundreds of benefactors of his groundbreaking martial arts system will be on hand this Saturday to pay tribute to ‘Sensei’ (instructor) Warren as his karate system marks its 50th anniversary.
The event, set for the Four Seasons on Brown Deer Road, has been sold out for weeks, a testament to Warren’s popularity and influence.
There’s no question he is a martial arts innovator whose vision brought into focus a system that has positively impacted thousands of Black Milwaukee youth.
Yet, that is but part of the story.
Warren’s life journey is worthy of a screenplay that could fit into several categories, from an authentic military action hero to a pioneer law enforcement officer.
He served for over 23 years with the Wisconsin Highway Patrol, was named chief of the Palmyra, Wisconsin police department, and is currently a municipal court judge in that community.
That’s right, he currently holds the title of ‘Judge Charles Warren.’
Both positions are historic firsts for an African American.
But his law enforcement career has another watermelon seed on top:
Before those history-making accomplishments, Warren served two tours as a military/police advisor in Kosovo during the height of that country’s civil war.
His history-making accomplishments aside, Warren will probably be best remembered for opening the first African American school in the state.
From a small room in the back of the old Northside YMCA with four students in 1970 to six schools throughout the state and an academy in Strpce, Kosovo, Warren has taught and mentored an untold number of youth and adults during his five decades of teaching here and abroad.
His Kosovo school has produced some of the best martial artists in Europe.
They continue a tradition of inimitably trained and hard-edged fighters who have elevated Kempo Goju as one of the most respected fighting schools in the Midwest.
His local students (he also has dojos in Palmyra and Hudson, Wisconsin) are known for their aggressive style of fighting that strikes fear in the hearts of opponents in both professional and amateur tournaments.
And I’m not exaggerating!
I recall going to a tournament in northern Wisconsin many years ago, during which the head instructor of another dojo refused to allow his student to compete against ours.
He said we were ‘too rough.’
‘Tough or fearless’ would be better descriptions, for that is what Kempo Goju has symbolized for decades.
Warren’s students have excelled in competition over the decades, a fact that can be traced to his introduction of traditional training methods intermingled with unique fighting techniques.
In fact, Warren revealed in a recent interview that he originally named his program ‘Milwaukee Kick Fighters.’
After his students drew notice during a national karate tournament in the 1970s, it was suggested he change the name to a traditional karate moniker to gain greater acceptance in the karate world.
Thus was born Kempo Goju Karate, reflecting a merger of Japanese and Chinese styles.
It’s almost impossible to separate his karate style from Warren’s persona.
He was first introduced to Goju Karate as a teenaged Air Force non-commissioned officer while stationed in Japan, following a tour in Vietnam.
He quickly embraced and excelled under internationally recognized ‘master’ instructor Gogen Yamaguchi.
After his military service, Warren ventured to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he studied Kempo under Bob Cumming.
Upon returning to Milwaukee, he merged the two styles to form his own system: Kempo Goju, a structure accommodating different body types. It includes both a hard and soft style of traditional karate, with Chinese boxing.
Kempo Goju is thus more realistic for real-life combat scenarios, particularly those in central cities where ‘Ghetto Ryu’ is an unstructured but deadly reality.
Sensei Warren first introduced his system at the Northside YMCA with four students, including the late Muhammad Sabir, who became one of his first black belts and became a catalyst for the system’s growth.
Sabir made the transition last year. His impact, however, will live on indefinitely. He, too, will be recognized on Saturday.
Warren’s students include a who’s who of notable African Americans, including African American physicians, politicians, entrepreneurs, and law enforcement.
I, too, am a proud member of that fraternity, having been initially invited to study with Sensei Warren and later joining Sabir for nearly four decades. All of my male children have earned Black belts, and I have grandchildren currently learning the art.
I recognized long ago the benefits of membership in the fraternity and how it instills in Black youth—discipline, comradery, and self-maturation. In many respects, Kempo Goju serves as our Rites of Passage.
It is not a coincidence that most of the system’s students come from single-parent homes. Or that Kempo Goju instructors fill a void left by the absence of a male role model in most of their lives.
“We are mentors,” Warren confirmed. “And we take our mission seriously.
“Many parents are looking for guidance, someone to mentor their children; not just boys, but girls as well. It’s a role we embrace.
“It’s been my thinking since the beginning that we—instructors— must lead by example. Those who stand at the front of the class must be an example to follow; instructors must be mentors who don’t just teach karate. They must care for the welfare of the child and respect the adults we teach as well.”
Thus, it should not be surprising that Warren’s instructors have followed his lead and created an environment at the dojos that transcend self-defense training.
Young students are required to bring in report cards for review. Instructors meet with their parent(s) regularly.
Mothers frequently call on instructors to respond to problems a student might encounter in school or the neighborhood.
And it is not unusual for instructors to visit schools unannounced to check up on students.
Sabir took that role to another level. As a former teacher with a Ph.D. in education, he set up classrooms in the basement of his dojo and tutored his students. He served the role of surrogate father to hundreds of children, including as a disciplinarian.
In the early days of his system, Warren said his primary intent was simply to “make great fighters,” which he did with several earning national acclaim.
But as his system grew, his focus changed. Somewhat.
“Back in the day, we were known for being strong fighters, including the women. In the 70s and 80s, karate tournaments didn’t have male and female divisions. Men and women fought each other. And our women usually came out on top.”
Chief/Judge/Sensei Warren pauses when I ask him about his life’s journey.
He is an unassuming brother whose accomplishments resulted from a guiding hand–fate–he acknowledged.
He never envisioned creating a karate style when he ventured into the dojo in Japan. And he was encouraged but didn’t seriously approach his application for chief of police of the small community of Palmyra, which is halfway between Milwaukee and Madison.
Most surprisingly, he didn’t know he was a candidate for municipal judge until he was told of a ‘write-in’ campaign initiated by residents without his knowledge. He won that election by less than 200 votes.
While he takes his history-making accomplishments in stride, he is seemingly taken aback when I note that he has transitioned from a ‘fighter to a first.’
Nonetheless, he is always mindful of his public persona and his most significant innovation, Kempo Goju Karate.
For it has impacted more lives than he has influenced in law enforcement or military service.
Indeed, one of his greatest joys is in witnessing what his students have become as adults.
I don’t dare try to list them for fear of leaving out too many. Still, I can truthfully say they are represented in nearly all fields of endeavor. Chances are you have come in contact with one without realizing it.
I’ll put it this way:
Many years ago, when it was rumored that then-State Rep. Spencer Coggs was being pushed into a physical altercation with State Senator Gary George, I put my money on Spencer because he once wore a karate uniform with a Kempo Goju logo on it.
Coggs is now the city’s first African American treasurer.
But it isn’t the politicians, physicians, or pastors he impacted that he’s particularly proud of. It’s the nameless children who have become good citizens, neighbors, and husbands and wives.
He taught them humility, self-respect, and discipline.
Few have strayed from the path he charted, a fact that he cherishes more than any accolade or award.
Kempo Goju is the largest martial arts system in Milwaukee. However, Sensei Warren will be the first to reveal he has never sought to become self-sufficient, much less live a life of luxury.
“It’s never been about the money,” he revealed.
“We have never turned away a student because they couldn’t afford the fees.
“The Koreans abandoned the city because they didn’t feel it was profitable,” he explained, noting how most Tae Kwon Do schools relocated to the suburbs in the early 1980s.
“Ours was more a mission (than a for-profit business). Amazingly, we survived 50 years. Wow!” he exclaimed, his voice taking on a happy tone.
“Fifty years. Who would have thought it?”
Asked how he would like to be remembered 50 years from now, he surprisingly didn’t note his historic contributions or how he impacted the thousands who bowed as they entered the dojo floor.
Instead, from a cultural standpoint, he hopes people remember him as a role model, a mentor to the multitudes.
On a personal note, he says he takes particular pride in being physically fit even though he passed the seven-decade threshold.
“I remember my 87-year-old grandfather removing his cigars from his shirt pocket as he preceded to walk on his hands around the house.
“Can you imagine that? An 87-year-old man walking on his hands from room to room.
“He told me to always remember that physical fitness is free. And like education, it’s something no one can ever take away from you.”
Chief/Judge/Sensei Warren says he is proud to say he is physically fit and a role model for his students despite being three times the age of most.
And I have no doubt he can still walk on his hands, even while holding up dozens of awards and a ton of positive memories.
Hotep.